Pearl of the Underworld
by MissTeak
Summary: Lord Sesshoumaru thought she was just a wandering ghost who could not come to terms with her own death, until Tenseiga told him he had to save her, the Pearl of the Underworld, from a deep conspiracy that spanned the Land of the Living and the Underworld.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters who would subsequently appear in this story.

A/N: MissTeak's here with a full length canon universe drama/adventure story! I hope you guys will like this one; all of you have been such fantastic friends and readers throughout these years. You made fanfiction writing the best thing that has ever happened to me, and now I found myself unable to live without writing fanfiction.

This chapter will be a preview chapter, since I am still working on other stories as of now in other fandoms. Whether I would expand this into a full-length story really depends on whether the readers want me to.

This story deals with the supernatural, and there will be adult themes throughout the entire story. You've been warned!

_**Pearl of the Underworld**_

_**Chapter One**_

_**Prelude**_

* * *

The sobbing grew louder with every step he took.

The harsh, breathy sobs punctuated the deathly silent night air, before rising in volume to end in an agonized, unearthly wail. The agony and sorrow that resonated so strongly in the desperate wail crashed against his senses like a tidal wave. The power of the angst was sufficient to make anyone on earth forget all other emotions; that was how raw and angry the pain was.

Lord Sesshoumaru of the Western Lands stopped abruptly in his steps. His hypersensitive hearing strained to pick up the exact direction from which the sorrowful cries were coming from, but try as he might; he was unable to pinpoint a location. It was as if he was caught in the middle of a vortex, and the sorrow was swirling all around him while growing more intense by the second.

"My most honorable Lord Sesshoumaru, why have you stopped?" His retainer, Jaken, asked in utmost surprise. It was most bizarre to see his lord…confused, not that he would ever dare speak about it. The surroundings were still deathly silent and almost pitch dark, and the toad demon's demonic instincts did not pick up anything out of the ordinary.

"Jaken."

"Yes, my lord!"

Sesshoumaru cast a sideward glance at the retainer by his feet. The toad demon did not seem to be fazed in the least, even with the blood-curdling cries of sorrow resonating throughout the vicinity.

"Did you hear that?"

Jaken was genuinely confused; what could it be that Lord Sesshoumaru was talking about? The night was silent, almost completely so save for the sounds of their footsteps shuffling against the gravelly dirt path earlier. "Hear what, my lord?"

Something was amiss. Ignoring his faithful retainer, Sesshoumaru took a deep breath of the air, something that he usually did not have to do to pick up a subtle scent. Yet all that registered in his senses were the natural scents of the woods and running water from the deep mountains. There were no other scents, but he could have sworn he heard cries.

He could not be wrong; there was someone, or something, in the vicinity. What the young demon lord could not comprehend was his inability to detect whoever the sounds were coming from.

Cautiously, he took a measured step forward.

Bone-chilling wails rang out loud and clear into the night of the waning moon, and almost simultaneously, Sesshoumaru felt his trusty sword Tenseiga throb almost violently with a burst of demonic aura. The powerful force vibrated through the demon lord's entire being and almost instinctively, Sesshoumaru swiftly pulled his sword out of its sheath and held it in a defensive stance in front of him. Tenseiga's demonic energy roared and flared down the length of its blade, illuminating the surroundings with its aura.

"Show yourself." He warned icily, well-aware that there was someone or something that was present in the area. There was something fishy going on, given that Jaken could not sense a thing. Being his retainer, Jaken was not a weak common demon; he should have sensed the cries by now.

The wails died down into a series of choking sobs, and if Sesshoumaru had been more of a weak individual, he would have felt his heart break. It was sad, with raw anguish rolling off in waves.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, what is going on?" Jaken shrieked in panic, raising his trusty Nintoujou staff high up into the air in preparation for battle. Looking around them cautiously, the old toad demon maneuvered his position such that he was standing back to back with his lord. Despite so, his demon senses still failed to pick up any hint of danger; the night was calm and silent as it had been. Was his lord out of his mind?

"Show yourself, whoever you are. This Sesshoumaru will not repeat himself."

Jaken gulped. Something was wrong, terribly so. He had followed Lord Sesshoumaru long enough to identify his fearless lord's characteristic manner of dealing with potential threats, but this time round, he knew Sesshoumaru was unsure. "My lord, please enlighten this lowly one-"

"Silence, Jaken."

Another high-pitched whimper of fear echoed around them, though Sesshoumaru noted how Jaken did not seem to notice anything. That sound did not belong to anything on this vast earth.

"This Sesshoumaru will not repeat himself."

A few more sobs, and then he saw a flash of white emerge briefly from behind a tree. It was as if that creature was trying to peep at them. A pair of unearthly dark orbs stared unblinkingly in what Sesshoumaru could decipher as fear and wariness despite the distance between them. In that instant, their eyes met.

The next instant, Jaken found himself standing all alone on the dirt path as Sesshoumaru took off with his superior demonic speed in a flash of brilliant green to reach somewhere along the path. His lord materialized in a flash approximately about twenty feet down the dirt path, and Tenseiga was instantly raised and held out in front of him.

Jaken knew enough about the ancient ways of the sword to know that Sesshoumaru was holding Tenseiga in an offensive stance, poised to strike and attack, but he was pointing it at…nothing.

For at the tip of the sword's blade, there was nothing but thin air.

True fear gripped Jaken; he could not even imagine the idea of his lord having lost his mind. Sesshoumaru couldn't possibly be crazy, could he?

Sesshoumaru held Tenseiga firmly in his hand, staring unwaveringly in concealed surprise and morbid fascination at the individual at the other end of his sword. Dressed in a shabby white _katabira_, the traditional funeral robes, the creature had its face concealed by long, disheveled black hair.

Sesshoumaru had suspected it to be what it was moments before their eyes had met, but it was the feet, or the lack of them, that confirmed his suspicions. Beyond the knees where calves and feet should be was a mere wisp of pearly appartition. There was no scent or aura emanating from the creature.

The demon lord's eyes widened a mere fraction.

The creature in front of him was clearly a _yuurei_, a wandering ghost who had been doomed to remain on earth due to the extreme emotions he or she had felt at the point of death. Predominantly females, the _yuurei _had suffered badly in life, dying a premature and sudden death from suicide, murder or battle. Having its life torn away from it so abruptly resulted in a surge of powerful emotions, be it anger, sorrow or worry. The strong emotions had been carried along into the afterlife barred the spirit from moving into Hell where it could get reincarnated into another life.

The land of the living had no place for a creature like this, which was no wonder why Sesshoumaru could not pick up its scent or sense its exact presence. But why was it that he could see it?

"Please… don't hurt me…" The ghostly whisper floated by his senses, though it was clear that the ghost was not directing the statement at him.

"Vacate this land, before I remove you personally."

The wandering ghost looked up at the sound of Sesshoumaru's voice, and long dark hair parted to reveal a pasty white face, void of any traces of the essence of life. The skin was almost completely white to the extent of being pearlescent. The blank, unearthly doe eyes staring at him earlier now brightened considerably with a confusing mixture of fear and elation.

It was a female, and Sesshoumaru silently noted how young she was.

"You can see me?" A sweet, feminine voice, no longer marred by the sobbing and wailing, echoed around the two of them. Her pale lips turned up in a hopeful yet melancholic smile, something which told him of the beauty she possessed when she had been alive. "Can you really see me?"

Tenseiga throbbed again with a flare of demonic aura, and the female spirit cried out in surprise and flinched as if afraid of being burned. She hastily retreated in an instinctive self-defense reflex. Her immense fear proved to Sesshoumaru that she had been subjected to dangers and threats ever since she had died.

_Of course,_ Sesshoumaru thought. _Tenseiga is a sword to restore life to the dead by slaying the messengers from Hell and supernatural creatures. It comes as no wonder that this Sesshoumaru, the rightful owner and master of Tenseiga, could see the wandering spirit._

But what did Tenseiga want him to do? The erratic pulses of demonic energy radiating off his sword told Sesshoumaru that there was a message Tenseiga wanted to convey, but he had no idea what it was.

The spirit was without a body, so unlike how he brought Rin back to life, Sesshoumaru was unable to do the same for this wandering spirit. Besides, he had no incentive to do so.

"Please, can you really see me?" The voice was filled with disbelief as it echoed and reverberated around Sesshoumaru, resembling an echo more than a clear voice. The ghost raised a hand, extending it shakily towards Sesshoumaru's leg. "What has happened to me? Am I…dead?"

"Silence, _creature_." The demon lord said icily, watching the ghost stiffen and pull her hand back almost instantly. "Do not attempt to taint this Sesshoumaru with your unearthly filth."

The derogatory comment from Sesshoumaru should have been offensive and fearsome, but the ghost was anything but scared. Instead, the smile became wider, and tears sparkled in the ghost's lifeless eyes as she looked gratefully and hopefully at the demon lord.

"Please, I beg of you, honorable Lord…help me, please…" The ghost pleaded piteously, bowing repeatedly with its forehead almost touching the earthy ground. Her sweet voice enveloped Sesshoumaru in a vortex of swirling sorrow as it echoed. "I have no idea where I am and there are some very…very scary creatures out there that are after me…"

It had to be those Hell messengers and guards who were trying to take this soul away from the land of the living, but somehow, this ghost had obviously managed to hide from them so far.

"You're dead. Your exact location is no longer a matter of concern. The only place you belong to now is Hell. This Sesshoumaru is warning you for the final time. If you do not vacate the Western lands this instant, this Sesshoumaru will see to it that your soul is obliterated."

Her lifeless eyes widened as tears streamed down as if they had a mind of their own. The sorrow rolling off her entire being was almost too uncomfortable for Sesshoumaru to bear; never had he come across something so tragic, so painful. She must have died too suddenly for her to even figure out what exactly had happened to her, and part of him was irked to know that this bizarre case of abrupt death took place somewhere on _his_ lands.

"But honorable Lord…if you do not help me, no one else can. I want to go home…I want to see my dearest mother and brother…" She sobbed, while her frail, ghostly body lurched forward with her immense sorrow. Her waxy pale face was frozen in a mask of sorrow; and Sesshoumaru fought the urge to shudder.

"If you don't help me…" The beginnings of a sorrowful wail made Sesshoumaru clench his jaw in discomfort. "They'll take me away…!"

"This is purely a chance meeting. You, insolent _creature_, have no right to demand any form of assistance from this Sesshoumaru." The demon lord's eyes narrowed as he said coldly, effectively cutting her sobs off.

"This Sesshoumaru has a word of advice. Leave. You no longer belong to this place. The only place you belong to now is the Underworld." Sesshoumaru detested the Underworld. More specifically, he detested the individual named Naraku who ruled the Underworld.

He turned to leave, and the ghost whimpered helplessly upon realizing his intent. Frantically, she floated closer to him, extending her lifeless and weak arms to try to grip his legs. Unfortunately, her ghostly body was a mere apparition with no solid shell, and her shadowy hand passed right through his legs.

She tried again desperately to beg with him. "Please, please honorable Lord…I'd be indebted to you for life if you would help me…"

"For _life_?" Sesshoumaru smirked evilly, his eyes narrowing in sadistic mirth as he watched her try to reach for him. Her hand passed through his leg again, and the ghostly eyes wept more tears of desperation. "Do you even have a trace of life in you? Besides, do you really think this Sesshoumaru would ever need your help? Cease this foolishness."

Her head shook slowly and almost lolled lifelessly around her frail shoulders. She looked up at him, mouth gaping to reveal a deep black void, but it was those eyes, melancholic despite being void of life, that reminded him so strongly of Rin back then. The unearthly, ghostly voice spoke up again.

"It is fated for us to meet…why would it be that no one else, except for you, can see me? Please, I beseech you, honorable and fearsome lord…please help me…"

Sesshoumaru had no idea what this ghost needed him to do, and logically speaking, a departed spirit should leave when the messengers and guards from Hell made a trip to the land of the living to take them away. If she was with her corpse, he might have been able to do something for her.

He looked at her condescendingly, disgusted by the pathetic cries she was making, before turning to leave. He sheathed Tenseiga. Ignoring the ghostly sobs echoing behind him, Sesshoumaru took a step forward before calling out, "Jaken. Let's go."

"Yes, most honorable Lord Sesshoumaru!" The toad demon was almost ecstatic at the prospect of leaving; he knew very well by now that there was something his lord could see and he could not, and it was nothing pleasant.

Frantically, the ghost clambered on its knees alongside the demon lord's legs. "Please, please…they would hurt me if they found me…you, Lord Sesshoumaru, are the only one who can help me…"

He ignored her, staring stonily ahead. Tenseiga was almost rattling with anxiety from its position by Sesshoumaru's waist, its demonic aura attempting to reach out to its master. It was then when the ghost wailed and moaned piteously, and threw herself at Sesshoumaru's legs in one desperate final attempt.

Both were expecting her to fall right through his body, but nothing had prepared them for what happened next.

The ghost felt her body collide into something painfully, and her eyes widened in surprise at the first ever solid contact she made since she found herself wandering in the white funeral _katabira _robes. Sesshoumaru stiffened when he felt the solid force hit something by his side, and to his absolute surprise, saw the ghostly apparition leaning against…Tenseiga.

The sword's immense demonic energy died down upon the contact, and the ghostly apparition's eyes widened as she clutched the end of the sword sheath tightly in her bony, gnarled fingers.

"I…I can touch this…" She gasped in disbelief, and Sesshoumaru stared unblinkingly at the point of contact between her and his sword. What the hell was going on?

Glaring at the ghost for what he hoped was the last time, Sesshoumaru gripped Tenseiga's sheath and wrenched it away from her unceremoniously, leaving her to fall in a heap onto the gravel. She fell soundlessly, her body coming into contact silently with the ground.

"No…" Her ghostly voice once again rose like an intruder from the fourth dimension in the night air. "No….please."

The demon lord walked forward, and it was then when Tenseiga jerked violently on its own will, straining to hold Sesshoumaru back in the direction of the piteously sobbing ghost.

"What…what's wrong with you, Tenseiga?" Jaken cried out in sheer surprise to see such an uncharacteristic display of defiance from the sword to Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru came to a dead halt in his steps and turned swiftly to look over his shoulder at the ghost who was sprawled on the ground. Her eyes begged him piteously, and one frail elbow propped her torso up while the wispy tendrils below her legs became so thin and weak.

He turned fully to take a step towards her, and Tenseiga calmed down almost instantly.

Staring down upon her from his superior position, Sesshoumaru felt confusion engulf him. His brows furrowed ever so slightly.

_Are you telling this Sesshoumaru to help her, Tenseiga…? _

_

* * *

To be continued…_

A/N: Please let me know how you felt about this preview chapter and whether this story is worth being expanded into a full-length piece of work! I will classify it as a oneshot for now.


	2. Chapter 2

Standard disclaimers apply.

A/N: Thank you so much for all the enthusiastic support for this story! It does not follow the series entirely. Here's chapter two, and I hope you enjoy it.

_**Pearl of the Underworld**_

_**Chapter Two**_

* * *

"This Sesshoumaru did not recall giving you permission to follow him back." The demon lord said scathingly, hostility dripping from every syllable in his words. He had meant to ignore her entirely, but Tenseiga would not hear of it and had protested by flaring its aura until the ghost was allowed to follow quietly behind. It was only when the ghost had followed them for a short distance did Tenseiga conclude that its master was grudgingly tolerant of the ghost's presence and calmed down.

Meanwhile, Sesshoumaru's retainer, Jaken, was positively shaking from head to toe with fear. Gripping his Nintoujou staff as if clinging on for dear life, the toad demon looked frantically from side to side; as if afraid the ghost might impulsively decide to harm him. He had finally grasped and came to terms with the idea that there was indeed a creature of the supernatural travelling with them, but it was nonetheless unsettling.

"Do not assume for a moment this Sesshoumaru has taken it upon himself to provide you assistance in any way. Whatever happens to you is not of concern."

The ghost remained silent and hung her head low, floating a few feet behind the stoic demon lord without a sound. She wanted to weep at the hostility she was being treated with, but her soulless eyes were unable to summon tears. Still unable to get used to this phantom body, she felt weak and craved nourishment, especially in the form of food offerings and incense sticks. A sad, wistful smile graced her pale lips; she was indeed, dead.

Her entire wisp of a body was impossibly weak, especially having narrowly escaped the vicious hell guards who were dying to drag her right down into the pits of hell. That was perhaps her rightful place, but those guards looked dreadfully intimidating and there was something about them she felt she could not trust.

"Cease following this Sesshoumaru. Go back to where you belong."

The hauntingly melancholic voice came. "But I have nowhere else to go, and it is you, honorable lord, who can help this lowly one."

He turned to look at her.

Her eyes met his for a moment, and he looked away in what she interpreted as disgust.

"Do you think this Sesshoumaru cares?"

The demon lord walking in front of her was an interesting character; he was the most beautiful male she had ever laid her eyes on. Never had she seen a male looking so spectacular with his perfectly chiseled, almost androgynous features. His hair was of the purest white, sleek and elegant like strands of silk bathed in moonlight. Strange markings on his face and wrists did not mar the beauty of this enigmatic creature; all they did was to enhance his near-perfect appearance, and added an exotic touch to him.

But alas, the gods above were never unfair. For the godly beauty he was blessed with came at a high price. He had no heart, she silently concluded. Or maybe he had one, but it was encased in ice and stone.

His arrogance and aloofness most probably meant the lack of family and friends who genuinely cared for him. People obeyed and befriended him not out of the genuine desire to do so, but rather, it was all out of fear.

It must be quite tragic to lead such a life, she thought to herself. After all, she _had _a happy life, until that fateful day…

"Lord Sesshoumaru! What about the…the…"

She looked up, her ghostly energy ebbing away with that simple movement. The simple offerings of stale rice, wild yams and salted bits of fish made to her at her shabby funeral provided little energy. Her hands were getting increasingly weak by the moment, and her pearly translucent form was getting fainter and fainter.

They had come to the grand archway of a magnificent imperial villa, those in which the reputable warlords and royalty resided. She had never even laid eyes on the interior courtyard of the villa; commoners of her social rank had to look at the ground when they walked past these villas. Standing up close, the archway looked even more impressive, with two intimidating paintings of Japanese guardian gods on each side of the grand doors. Demon guards knelt and bowed low at the sight of the demon lord.

The demon lord cast a glance at the ghost hovering behind them, and smirked to himself. "Let's go, Jaken."

"Yes, milord!" The toad demon was eager to comply, and though he was dreadfully tiny in stature, climbed over the threshold of the entrance, which was an elevated kerb. The demon lord strode over it effortlessly, and started to walk along the long stone path which led to the deep interior of the villa.

Regarding the elevated kerb quietly, she knew the reason behind his smirk. It was in their tradition and superstitious beliefs to raise the kerb at the entrance to all houses and temples in order to keep ghosts and wandering spirits out of the areas in which the living resided. Without legs, there was no way these phantoms could raise their knees to step over the kerb.

Summoning whatever energy was left in her entire being, she floated towards the kerb, intending to raise her body to cross it. But as the pearly wisps of smoky soul came into contact with the blessed wood, there was a flash of blinding light, before an acute stab of pain jolted through her body. A wail of excruciating pain was wrenched from her throat, before she fell backwards and collapsed like a limp rag onto the gravelly path. Eerie whimpers escaped her as she shook uncontrollably from the discomfort.

He cringed instantaneously; the bloodcurdling cry was too much for his sensitive demonic hearing to bear. It grated on his nerves and stopped him dead in his tracks. The blessed wood kerb was meant to deter the ghost from entering and effectively keep it out of his villa, but he had not counted on the irritating cries that would come along.

The ghost shakily tried to pick herself up into a kneeling position, driven by determination to receive help from the demon lord who could see her. If there was anyone who could help her, it was he. He could see her, could hear her, and he looked strong. Furthermore, she could touch the sword he carried with him. That was all she needed to know. Summoning strength in her body once again, she threw her weakened body at the kerb. Another flash of light, and pain far greater than jolts by large electric eels coursed through her. She cried out in agony and writhed on the ground as she lurched to the side.

"Help…" She moaned piteously, her teeth chattering involuntarily from the bouts of raw agony that ate viciously into the core of her being. Even dying hadn't been so painful…she screamed again, screaming for someone, anyone, who might render her assistance.

It was then when her eyes caught a flash of pristine silver above her, and it did not take her long to realize it was the demon lord who was staring down upon her coldly. Renewed hope filled her despite the agony she was in, and she tried to raise her hand to reach out to him.

Her hand went up shakily, trembled as she tried to hold it in place, before falling limply by her side. It was no good; she could not summon an ounce of strength. The charms used to bless the wood had been too strong, and the meager strength remaining in her starved phantom form was rapidly dissipating like tendrils of smoke in the air. She cried out in pain as another bout of pain hit her.

But he was here, and that was good enough. He came back after all, and she was certain he was not going to leave her in the lurch.

Then he did something she had never expected him to do.

From her position on the gravelly path, she saw him raise his leg. There was…fury in those amber eyes. He couldn't possibly be…

A foot clad in a dark black warrior boot swung forcefully in her direction, aimed directly at her side. She squeezed her eyes shut to brace herself for the inevitable pain, but she felt nothing. There was no forceful kick that came her way.

That was when she discovered that his attempt to kick her out of the way had failed; his foot had gone through her translucent body entirely. All her earlier hope died like a flame in a storm; he had not come back to help her…all he wanted to do was get rid of her. She wept tearlessly, her dead eyes unable to cry. He was so cruel, unlike anyone she had met when she was still alive.

Smirking sadistically as if he was deriving some sort of twisted joy from threatening to harm the ghost, and watching her cower in fear, Sesshoumaru gave her another good kick. She was annoying indeed, and this pathetic, weepy ghost had to be taught her place. He watched his foot go through her body yet again, and when he was certain she had learned her place, he literally turned his back on her.

"Go to somewhere else if you want to die." He said coldly, casting a condescending gaze upon the whimpering ghost. "Do not think annoying this Sesshoumaru with those unearthly noises you create would change his mind about helping you."

"P-Please…"

"This Sesshoumaru has been benevolent enough in allowing you to follow him out of the woods. Don't force this Sesshoumaru to destroy you."

She did not say a word to that, and instead, closed her eyes with a sorrowful, resigned expression. A self-mocking smile lingered on her colorless lips, and she once again mocked herself for how pathetic she was. She should never learn to trust males again, demon and humans alike, especially after what they did to her.

She thought she heard him leave.

Curling up on the ground, flashbacks of moments before her death revisited her. It was a breezy autumn's day, and the mountains behind the village in which she resided had been dyed a fiery red by Mother Nature. The chestnuts trees were positively groaning from the strain of ripe, delicious chestnuts on their branches and ripe wild mushrooms had fully emerged from the ground, bringing autumn greetings to the vast earth. The Western lands had been richly blessed indeed. She had wanted to gather the autumn harvest that nature had provided for the people, but had never counted on that trip to be the last time she left her home alive.

She had stumbled upon wild sweet potato plants growing in a patch deep within the mountains, and joy filled her as she recalled how pleased her mother would be to find sweet potatoes available for dinner. She dug with a fallen tree branch she found on the ground, and sure enough, she managed to unearth a large and ripe sweet potato of the unique purple variety.

It was then when it all happened.

A rumbling growl resonated in the vicinity, and she realized to her utmost horror that it was coming from right behind her. The merry tune which she was humming died on her lips. She thought it could have been a wolf, and she turned around, trying to stand tall and confident armed with the sweet potato in hand to scare the creature away.

But what greeted her eyes caused her blood to freeze in the vessels instantly, for staring back at her was a demon, one that resembled an ogre. It was at least five feet taller than she was, and the way it was looking at her told her she was prey. Retreating a few steps, she frantically threw the harvested fruits and vegetables at the mountain demon, before shrieking and trying to run past it.

Why would the ogre be here? The Western Lands had always been known for being a safe land to reside in…

Unfortunately, her running speed was in no way superior to the demon's, and she found herself forcefully brought to the ground by two impossibly thick arms that wrapped themselves around her waist. She kicked, fought and clawed at the sinewy arms holding her captive, but her struggles did not lessen the force of the hold on her in the least. Screaming for help, her cries seemed to backfire by fuelling the ogre's bloodlust and tendency to use violence. A swift blow to the face sent her head veering to the side and the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth instantly, and she watched in mounting fear and morbid fascination as her own blood spewed forth to stain the earth below.

She kicked again, and managed to push the ogre back by a few inches, before she seized the opportunity to clamber into a standing position. But before she could even make a run for safety, a sweeping swipe of the ogre's great claws slashed her left thigh viciously. Blood spurt forth once again and she was brought down to her knees, lurching forward to fall sprawled on the ground. Another scream was wrenched from her throat, a gurgling one that mixed morbidly with the blood in her mouth.

Fallen leaves rustled as the ogre clumsily moved forward to cover her much smaller body with its own, and she clawed at the earth helplessly to try to make another attempt at escape. Her fingernails hurt badly and fell off in fractured bits as she frantically clawed at anything within reach. She could not give up, not when she had so much to live for.

Then she felt fumbling hands rip her obi apart, and a bloodcurdling cry was wrenched from her throat once again as she realized what the ogre intended to do. Her kimono hem was lifted roughly and her undergarments were slashed away viciously, with beads of blood oozing out from the areas of her inner thighs where the skin was torn. She struggled with all her strength for yet another time, feeling like a fish on the chopping board, only to stiffen and scream soundlessly when an excruciating pain ripped through her with a forward surge of the ogre's powerful hips.

Every movement was causing a fresh wave of crimson blood to rush from her gaping, abused core to dye the earth a painful red. The pain was raw, and the sounds of fresh blood mixing with the sexual fluids of the revolting ogre were almost hypnotically rhythmic. The sounds became more and more distant, and she felt her vision weaken as dots of black started accumulating and dancing in front of her eyes…

And when she woke up, she was what she was now.

Cold, hungry and desolate, she had nowhere to go and no one to turn to. It was the same feeling she had now. That demon lord was just another male…unworthy of trust.

Rolling over to pull herself up into a kneeling position, she saw through heavily-hooded eyes how the demon guards at the grand archway were looking around in confusion for the creature their Lord had been talking to earlier.

He had a point; the land of the living held no place for the dead.

There was really no point in staying, when he could help yet would not.

She reached out with her arm such that it was resting against the ground and dragged herself forward by a few inches, before raising another arm to move herself forward. She did not have a destination, and neither did she know how she could get back to her village where she could see her mother and brother Souta again, but for now, she would just leave.

* * *

_To be continued…_


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